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Progress and Goals

Progress

In 2009, Ford made significant progress on the environmental aspects of its products and operations. For example:

  • In 2009, Ford committed that every all-new or redesigned vehicle we introduce will be best in class or among the best in class for fuel economy in its segment. Since then, we have followed through on this commitment with vehicles introduced in both the United States and Europe, and we will continue to do so with future product launches.
  • For the 2009 model year, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) of our cars and trucks increased by 4.2 percent relative to 2008. Preliminary data for the 2010 model year shows a 3.2 percent improvement in CAFE for cars and a slight decline of 2.4 percent in CAFE for trucks compared to 2009.
  • Ford is continuing to develop a comprehensive sustainable materials strategy to maximize the effectiveness and broaden the implementation of sustainable materials in our vehicles. One of the key goals of this strategy is to identify and globally implement materials technologies that improve environmental and social performance and lower costs. We also continue to expand our use of recycled and renewable materials.
  • For the fifth consecutive year, Ford was honored with an Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This award recognizes Ford's continued leadership in and commitment to protecting the environment through energy efficiency.
  • Ford reduced CO2 emissions from our facilities by more than 44 percent from 2000 to 2009 and by 17.7 percent on a per-vehicle basis from 2000 to 2009.
  • We continued our leadership in facility greenhouse gas reporting in 2009. Voluntary GHG reports were developed for all four Ford manufacturing sites in China. The CEO of Ford China presented these reports to senior Chinese government officials in December 2009.
  • Ford continued to reduce water use and waste sent to landfill in 2009. We reduced global water use by 16.6 percent and landfilled waste by 20.7 percent, relative to 2008.
  • Ford introduced packaging guidelines for the transport of parts and materials used in Ford vehicles. These guidelines require supplier-provided packaging to support corporate sustainability goals by seeking a neutral or positive environmental footprint through zero waste to landfill and the use of 100 percent recycled, renewable or recyclable materials.
  • We won a 2009 Green Choice award from Natural Health magazine for continuous efforts to build a greener future. This award is based on a range of environmental action areas, including alternative energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water use, recycling, operational energy footprints, and LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certifications.

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2009 Year-Over-Year Environmental Performance Metrics and Goals

Products

Goal 2009 Accomplishments
Product Sustainability Index (PSI)
Expand use of the PSI and Design for Sustainability principles in product development
  • 2009 Ford Fiesta developed using PSI
Sustainable Materials
Increase the use of recycled, renewable and lightweight materials
  • Expanded use of soy foam seating
  • Introduced soy foam headliner
  • Introduced wheat straw reinforced plastics
  • Expanded use of recycled content fabrics for seats and headliners
  • Continued to develop strategy requiring recycled plastics and textile materials for many applications in North America
Increase use of and certification for allergen-free and air-quality-friendly interior materials
  • Established global design guidelines for allergen-free materials and in-vehicle air filtration that are being migrated across product lines
Eliminate mercury and lead content in vehicles
  • As of 2009, all Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles in the U.S. are mercury-free, with the exception of the Lincoln Town Car, which uses mercury in its high-intensity discharge headlamps
  • Have eliminated use of lead wheel weights in North America and Europe
Product Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Reduce CO2 emissions of U.S. and EU new products by 30 percent by 2020, relative to a 2006 model year baseline
  • Continued fuel economy improvements. Accelerated our electrification strategy. Worked to develop climate policies.
Have every all-new or redesigned vehicle we introduce be best in class or among the best in class for fuel economy in its segment
  • Since 2009, have followed through on this commitment with vehicles introduced in both the U.S. and Europe, and we will continue to do so in future product launches

Facilities

Metric 2009 Target 2009 Actual 2010 Target
Energy Use
Facility energy efficiency (global) 3% improvement 8% improvement1 3% improvement
Facility energy efficiency (United States) 3% improvement 4.6% improvement2 3% improvement
Energy use No specific goal; continue use reductions 44% improvement compared to 2000 levels No specific goal; continue use reductions
Emissions
VOC emissions from painting at North American assembly plants Maintain 24 g/sq meter or less 21 g/sq meter Maintain 24 g/sq meter or less
Water Use
Water use (global) 6% reduction 16.6% reduction 6% per unit reduction from 20093
Waste Production
Landfill waste (global) 10% reduction 20.6% reduction 10% per unit reduction from 20094

  1. Energy efficiency is calculated in million Btus per unit. For our global efficiency calculation, energy use is not adjusted for variances in production or weather. We experienced an improvement in global energy efficiency of 8 percent during 2009, despite an 8 percent reduction in production that year; global energy consumption was reduced by 16 percent, due in part to lower production volumes.

  2. This is a percent improvement in our North American energy efficiency index, which is normalized based on an engineering calculation that adjusts for typical variances in weather and vehicle production. The Index was set at 100 for the year 2000 to simplify tracking against our target of 1 percent improvement in energy efficiency. Therefore, the 4.5 percent improvement in 2009 is based on a year 2000 baseline.

  3. Starting in 2010, our main water use target will be set and tracked on a per-vehicle basis as opposed to total global use, as has been done in previous years.

  4. Starting in 2010, our main waste reduction target will be set and tracked on a per-vehicle as opposed to a total global reduction, as has been done in previous years.